Coronavirus

Stuck day and night in their homes, a surprising number of Americans are deciding the pandemic is a great time to upgrade.

Homes sales in Oklahoma didn't hit the skids in April, just a patch of black ice, but everyone managed to keep it between the ditches.

The Austin, Texas, area housing market had been on a 10-year roll before the coronavirus pandemic. Several market indicators nosedived as the effects began to be felt in the market in late March and continuing into April.

An index of contract signings for purchases of previously owned homes slumped to a record low in April as coronavirus lockdowns thwarted prospective buyers.

In addition to the potential wave of mortgage defaults resulting from coronavirus-driven forbearances, hurricane season could put nearly 7.4 million homes worth $1.8 trillion at risk.

But the number of foreclosures and zombie properties may spike after the moratorium ends on June 30.

Michigan's economy collapsed this spring amid the coronavirus pandemic as thousands of businesses closed and more than 1 million residents lost work and sought unemployment benefits.

Home sales dipped in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the decline in Virginia wasn't as severe as many had anticipated, according to Virginia Realtors.

The temporary approval of remote ink-signed notarizations gives mortgage companies another tool for closing deals during coronavirus lockdown.

Kalahari Resorts defaulted on a $347 million mortgage originated by JPMorgan Chase

University Bancorp decided to shutter its wholesale mortgage lending business after it struggled to hire and train employees remotely.

The coronavirus made it particularly tough for independent contractors and independent business owners to get home mortgages, but there are some signs that market may recover soon.

U.K. home sales collapsed last month as the government effectively shut down the market to help slow the coronavirus outbreak.

Home sales in Chattanooga, Tenn., fell nearly 18% last month and the inventory of houses on the market fell by more than 26% as home-bound Chattanoogans were less likely to want to either buy or sell their homes during the worst of the coronavirus shutdowns in April.

Forecasts about the pandemic's impact on the mortgage market have grown less dire after forbearance requests by homeowners nearly leveled off in the first half of May.

Coronavirus-related mortgages in forbearance grew 20 basis points between May 11 and May 17, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have relaunched existing websites to provide COVID-19 tools to borrowers and servicers.

Some cities saw drops in annual housing supply nearing 40% in early May, according to Zillow.

With the recent acceleration to cloud computing, how can mortgage companies, who constantly deal with sensitive personal information, maintain safety?

The ripple effect of buying, spending can drive small businesses back to success.